Quality Standards Resource Centre

This resource describes the ISBAR communication tool—Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation—used to improve safety during handovers in clinical settings. It includes adaptable resources like fact sheets and lanyard cards to support consistent, structured information transfer.

This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

This resource outlines the requirement for all workplaces, including aged care facilities, to have an emergency plan under the model WHS laws. The plan must inform workers and visitors about what to do in emergencies, be easily accessible, and be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure effectiveness.

Guidance and requirements may differ across states and territories. Users are responsible for considering their individual circumstances and specific state-based regulations and legislation.

This guide focuses on collaboration and multidisciplinary care for older adults, particularly in residential aged care. It outlines the benefits of team-based care, effective team structures, shared goals, defined roles, building trust, communication, and measurable processes to improve health outcomes. It provides practical tips for effective teamwork and highlights the importance of coordinating care among various healthcare professionals.

This resource explains the purpose of a goals of care document, which outlines a person’s medical treatment goals and end of life care preferences. It describes how healthcare providers create and upload these documents to health records, supporting informed decision-making and access to care preferences.

This resource provides insight into the resilience of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in the face of emergencies and disasters. It explores key challenges and opportunities for enhancing resilience, such as the impact of migration, social capital, and communication barriers. It aims to equip stakeholders with actionable strategies to support resilience within these communities during crises.

This resource provides information on communication difficulties an person may encounter after experiencing a stroke. It discusses how strokes can affect communication, treatment to assist with communication, information on recovery, communication tips for family and friends and help resources for individuals.

Older Australians, particularly those that reside in residential aged care settings or in multigenerational households, are vulnerable to the ongoing risk of contracting and becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 and other highly infectious illnesses such as influenza and gastroenteritis.

This resource guides providers in identifying and setting goals of care with patients through shared decision-making. It fosters collaboration between patients, family, and healthcare teams to clarify expectations and establish personalised clinical and personal care objectives.

This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged care. Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides a checklist for home care and Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) providers to help them prepare for and manage the care of older people during heatwaves. It outlines steps to take before, during, and after heatwaves, ensuring the health and safety of those under their care. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource focuses on structured clinical handover processes to improve communication during patient care transitions. It highlights the importance of standardising handover procedures to make sure relevant information is effectively communicated, reducing errors and enhancing patient safety, especially during care transfers in healthcare settings, including aged care. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides tools and guidance on improving clinical communication to enhance patient safety. It focuses on key communication touchpoints, such as handovers, decision-making, and care transitions. Designed to support healthcare providers, it offers practical strategies to reduce errors and improve outcomes in aged care and other healthcare settings. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides guidance on workplace emergencies. It includes information about what to do if there's an emergency at your workplace, types of emergencies, evacuation procedures and more. It highlights the importance of being aware of people's needs in an emergency situation and considering vulnerable people when developing an evacuation plan.

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides a summer clinical alert for aged care providers, focusing on safeguarding older people during extreme heat. It includes guidance on identifying vulnerable people, creating action plans, monitoring hydration, and recognising heat-related illnesses. It helps providers prepare for heatwaves and protect those in care. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This poster is a tool for improving clinical handover. It outlines the principles of ISBAR: Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. This supports clinical conversations to be clear, focused and relevant. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource offers guidance to aged care providers on keeping older people safe during summer. It includes strategies for managing heat exposure, hydration, and sun protection. It helps providers monitor vulnerable people, recognise signs of overheating, and implement preventative measures to ensure safety during hot weather​. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This consensus statement outlines essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physiological deterioration in healthcare settings. It covers clinical processes like vital signs monitoring, diagnosis, and rapid response systems, as well as organisational aspects such as leadership, education, and evaluation. It provides generic information that can be applied to the aged care setting.

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides information about the regulation of allied health professions in Australia. It includes those registered under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) and self-regulating professions managed by professional peak bodies. It also provides links to further information about allied health professions currently registered with AHPRA and information for overseas-qualified practitioners.

This resource discusses the role of speech pathologists in supporting older people with communication and swallowing disorders caused by ageing, neurological conditions, and other health factors. It highlights the prevalence of communication and swallowing difficulties in aged care, their impacts, and how speech pathology services promote independence, participation, and quality of life through assessment, therapy, and tailored interventions.

This resource provides guidelines for managing patients with multimorbidity in aged care settings. It includes frameworks for assessing treatment burden, identifying patients at risk, and developing individualised care plans. It recommends validated tools for screening, a focus on quality of life, and strategies for medication review and care coordination.

This guide reviews the physiological changes associated with ageing across multiple body systems, including cardiovascular, nervous, renal, respiratory, gastrointestinal, immune, skin, haematological, endocrine, and musculoskeletal systems. It also discusses clinical manifestations of these changes, implications for care, and provides recommendations for adjusting clinical practice to meet the needs of older adults, including medication reviews, hydration, mobility support, and preventive health strategies.